


Bright

by h00ligan



Series: Amareyes #writeLGBTQ [6]
Category: Champions (Comics), Ghost Rider (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 12:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17867258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/h00ligan/pseuds/h00ligan
Summary: Robbie's been keeping a secret from Amadeus.Part 6 of the Amareyes #writeLGBTQ series: color





	1. Chapter 1

Robbie wondered if he'd always seen the way he does now. Maybe he always saw things, particularly living things, bright and saturated. Maybe it was after being brought back from the dead with a hitchhiker in his body who liked to feed from human souls. Maybe it was the bond that was involuntarily strengthened by vampires trying to use him. At some point, though, it really ceased to matter. All that really mattered was that colors of life made themselves more known to him. Really, it just made things more beautiful, made life that tiny bit more worth living.

Amadeus hadn't noticed that about him for a while, at least not until Robbie described to him how he saw his skin as a bright, radioactive green.

"Not like, nature green, like grass or leaves. More like Absinthe, or," the corners of his mouth tugged into a smile. "Radioactive."

"Is that really what my skin looks like?"

"It is what it looks like to me. My powers... ever since they got kickstarted, it's been more intense with people. Sometimes, it hurts to look."

"You don't have to. Look, I mean." Amadeus caught Robbie's jaw, gently, his face inching closer. "Close your eyes."

"Wait..." Robbie whispered, turning around to indicate the open door and the security camera. "Can we do this in my car?" 

"Hold up." Ammy's hand dropped, and he pulled away. "Are you even  _out_ yet?"

"What do you mean, 'am I out yet'? Thor and Jen never even give us half a second alone because they want to see 'the cute boyfriends'."

"Yeah, they do, but. Nobody else. I never run into  _anybody_ else. Except for when I helped move you in."

"I just." Robbie gulped. "I'm just. Not used to it. I'm used to  _you_. And I love you. But I spent so long needing to hide it, you know? I got beat up for being the guy who wears  _skinny jeans_. I've gotten kicked to the street when I was in the system. And it's not like my job was ever particularly  _accepting_. You've seen Alie come to visit me at work. I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I've only come out to Gabe, Johnny, Alie, Lisa, Jen, and Thor. Ever."

"There's no reason for you to be afraid, you know. There are a lot of heroes who aren't straight, who get it. I have Wiccan in a group chat. And America."

"I think I'm not ready, though." His voice cracked a little. "I knew I was gay since before Gabe came out to me. And I still don't know how to... to work up the fucking nerve. I'm just  _scared_. I'm scared that I'm going to lose my spot here. I'm scared that my health insurance is going to go away. What happens to Gabe, then? Does Tony confiscate his chair?"

"Babe. You know Tony's  _bi_ , right?" He pulled Robbie into a hug, rubbing his back. "If you want to go at this at your own pace, I'm good with that. You didn't have the advantage of a mentor who was like Herc when you were as young as I was."

"I don't know... Johnny is just about as flamboyant as him." He smiled a little. "I really don't want you to think that I'm embarrassed of you." He departed just long enough to close the door. "I can come out to Steve first. He's relatively safe. Probably into the whole 'don't ask-don't tell' thing. Thor will be around." Sitting back on the bed, he got in Amadeus' lap. "So, where were we?" 

Amadeus smiled. "I think you know where we were." He leaned in again. "Close your eyes. Relax." He kissed Robbie gently. Then a little harder, before both had to pull up for air, sparks flickering around them. 

"What did you feel?"

Robbie rested his head on Amadeus' shoulder. "Bright."


	2. Chapter 2

Robbie got out his phone after his discussion with Amadeus and steeled his nerves.

_Hey, Thor. Can you keep an eye on me at training tomorrow?_

_Of course, Rider of Ghosts!_

_Are you finally entering the Captain's advanced program for you?_

_What? No. I'm talking to Steve about something and I need someone in my corner_

_I'll be there 😜_

* * *

Training was always tough on Robbie, especially with days like today that were devoted to making sure Robbie wasn't "such a vulnerable meat sack" without his powers. He wanted to protest and say that Alejandra had taught him a couple moves when she'd stop through, and she was practically a one-woman army, but it was one of her  _things_. Nobody, especially an Avenger, could know she was alive and well. Except for Laura, but those two were inseparable. As Robbie wiped his face with a towel, he leaned against the wall, making sure he had a clear view of Thor. "Hey, uh, Captain? I kind of want to talk about something with you."

"You don't have to call me that. We're teammates now. Steve is fine." He took off his sweat-drenched tank and put on another, clean t-shirt and... damn did he have to be distracting by just  _existing_? 

"So, I haven't really been honest with you. Amadeus has been tutoring me so I keep up with class, yeah, but, he's not just my tutor. He's my boyfriend." He cleared his throat.

Steve was suddenly paying real, honest attention to him, but, as always, the guy was impossible to read. "Yeah? And how long has this been happening?"

"Uh, for about two years? We started things about a month before he became a Champion." He sat on a bench. "I've been keeping things secret because, you know, when you spend so much of your life facing consequences for being gay, when something good comes of it, you want to protect it."

"I see."

"Am I fired?" he stuttered, too scared to look at him.

"God, no. I mean, I really kind of had a hint at it."

"You did? But I snuck Amadeus around all the cameras!"

"Not Amadeus. You being gay. I've seen how you look at me." He gave a little bit of a laugh, finally breaking his solid exterior. "You're not really subtle when you're checking a guy out, and, if I can say,  _you have a bit of a type_. Really. I'm glad you came to me with this first. I can make him your emergency contact and add him to custody forms for Gabe since Johnny's-" He became very careful with his words. "Since his accident."

"A week long bender in a skyscraper with insecure balconies isn't an accident," he muttered, trying to ignore the sting always brought on by hearing Johnny in the past tense. "I really thought I'd be on the street and you'd comp Gabe's chair."

Steve sat next to Robbie, putting an easing hand on his back. "Why would you think that?"

"Remember when I told you about that week I spent on the street when I was eleven?"

"Yeah, your dad kicked you out of the house out of the blue and it was a week before your caseworker could find you."

"It happened because I kissed my foster brother and he caught us. He was... it was terrifying." He took a shaky breath, still remembering that raw fear as if it was yesterday. "I thought I'd  _die_ if I didn't get out of that house fast enough. And ever since... I've almost expected people who found out to treat me the same way. Johnny was different, because he was  _Johnny_. The guy never really hid he was bi. But..."

"Hey, it's really great that you came to me first about this. I can keep things quiet for you until you feel like telling everyone else. Including adding a short-circuit program in your camera that trips when it's near Gamma radiation."

"Oh, you're not the first Avenger I've told about Ammy and me. I told Jen when she first, uh, de-hulked around me. Then she was so excited to hear about us she told Thor. But, Carol is just, I don't think she likes me? And Tony? Too self obsessed. T'Challa just kind of doesn't acknowledge my existence and Blade knew because he was, uh,  _coffee buddies_ with Johnny and he couldn't keep a secret to save his life. The guy would turn full Ghost Rider in front of packed arenas and call it a 'mirror trick'." He smiled a little. "It really feels good to get this off my chest, though. Jen is great, but a lot of the time she's not really able to hold a conversation."

"I get it. Believe me. Do you want me to give Amadeus a key? Things sound pretty serious. Two years of a long-distance relationship, that's... a lot for two young men like yourselves."

"I'd really like that."


End file.
